Research

Research Agenda

ACUI’s research agenda is focused on the development and dissemination of knowledge that supports the work of college union and student activities professionals, creates theoretical frameworks that inform practice, addresses gaps in literature, and links practitioner and scholar.

The Association’s research agenda is aligned with the strategic direction of the Association and responsive to issues facing the profession with the goal of contributing to and improving the work of college union and student activities professionals.

Last updated 2018

Student Success

To better understand how college unions and student activities influence student learning, retention, completion, and other factors of student success.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

What role does the college union play in students’ sense of belonging and connection to the campus?

What are students learning through engagement in student union/activities programming?

What is the relationship between student engagement and student success?

How does satisfaction with the college union (i.e. facility, services, and programs) contribute to student retention?

What is the impact of student employment in the college union on retention, academics, and student learning?

Creating Community

To identify the ways in which the college union can be most successful in building campus community.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

How can physical space best be used to facilitate community building?

What barriers exist to building community in the college union?

Is the physical structure still necessary to building community on campus?

How do college union professionals build community beyond a building?

How do college union professionals build community beyond a building?

How does the college union compare to other community building spaces on campus and what are opportunities for collaboration and partnership?

Technology

To investigate the relationships between technology and the college union.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

How has technology changed the role of the college union?

What role does social media play in the college union/programming? In student employee training? In program promotion? In wayfinding? In operations?

How does technology influence college union service delivery and/or student involvement?

In what ways can technology enhance the sense of community within the college union?

Inclusive Communities

To understand how the college union can enhance the sense of belonging for increasingly diverse student populations and contribute to a more inclusive campus overall.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

What role does the college union have in the development of diverse populations (e.g., graduate students, veteran students, and other diverse and growing populations)?

What are best practices for engaging diverse student populations through the college union/programming?

In what ways might the college union contribute to a sense of inclusiveness on campus for diverse populations?

In what ways are staff prepared to work with an increasingly diverse student population?

How do different audiences use the college union and what are the future needs of each?

Student Engagement

To understand how student engagement in organizations, campus programming and student employment contribute to students’ learning and development.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

How does participation in various student organizations influence student learning outcomes?

What role does the college union play in student activism on campus? How might college union/student organization policies enhance or deter student activism?

In what ways is student employment contributing to student’s leadership development? Or to the development of “soft skills?”

What are the current models of student employment and training and how do they contribute to student learning or success?

Facilities and Operations

To identify the role college union facilities and operations play in supporting the mission of the institution.

Potential questions for consideration related to this topic:

How do certain operations policies/procedures assist or hinder community building?

What standards and benchmarks should be met when planning and maintaining a college union facility?

How does the physical condition of the college union positively and negatively affect student satisfaction?

How do facilities and operations shape the campus environment and ecology?